Safety gas and fuel valve



Dec. 3, 1935. J. DE PUDDICOMBE 2,022,846

SAFETY GAS AND FUEL VALVE Filed Aug. 19, 1955 Mur' Lua/Wm ww.'

ATTORNEY.

INVENTOR. JACK DE PuaD/coME Patented Dec. 3, 1935 SAFETY GAS AND FUEL VALVE Jack de Puddicombe, New York, N. Y., assigner to Martin B. Colwin, New York, N. Y.

Application August 19, 1933, Serial No. 685,936

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in safety valves for controlling gaseous and liquid fuels, and its leading object is to provide a valve which Will close automatically within a short period after the burner iiame has been extinguished.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a valve for gaseous and liquid burners, with a thermostatic control, which includes means for latching the valve against self closing action,

operated by a flexible shaft, and so arranged that the valve will remain open while a ame temperature exists.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a safety Valve with a handle which is normally disengaged from the valve plug, so that it cannot be accidentally operated to open the ow of the gaseous or liquid fuel.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a safety valve with a handle and thermostatic release, so arranged that the release may be manually operated to close the valve, or to regulate the ow, and will operate when the flame is extinguished to release the valve plug, so that a spring will force the valve automatically to a closed position.

A still further object of the -invention is the provision of a safety valve for gaseous and liquid burners, that can be manufactured at low cost, be practically fool proof, and which may be combined with any type of burner.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, described inthe following specicaticn,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

Whichz- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention as connected to a conventional type of gas burner.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5of Figure 3.

In the drawing I5 designates a conventional type of gas burner ring having a central open space I6, a series of radial wings I1 provided with the usual perforations, and an inlet nozzle I8.

One of these wings has a lug |9 on its under side to which an arm 20 is secured, and on the inner end of the arm is fixed a rigid post 2| (Cl. 15S-117.1)

extending upwardly into the space I6, and to the upper end of the post is fixed the outer end of an ordinary lai-metallic, thermostatic coil 22.

The inner end of the coil 22 is fixed to the wire core 23 of a flexible cable 24, held by a clamp 25 5 to the lower part of the post 2|, so that the coil is supported in free working relation to the Wall of the space I6. i

A shield 26 may be arranged to prevent drippings from clogging the coil 22 and interfering 10 with its free action.

The other end of the core 23 extends to a valve housing 30 attached by its nipple 3| to a supply pipe 32, and delivering to the burner nozzle I8 through an outlet 33 provided with a tubular dis- 15 Y charge spout 34, at the opposite side of the inlet nipple.

The housing 30 is generally cylindrical, open at both ends and has an elongated lengthwise recess or slot 35 in its lower Vportion below the 20 outlet 33, and is drilled transversely to receive the ends of the cable 24 and its core 23.

A tapered valve plug 36 is fitted to a correspending seat in the housing 30, below which the housing is counterbored from the bottom to 25 provide a shoulder to receive a washer 31, through which a stem 38 of the valve plug passes to engage in the hub 39 o-f a ratchet wheel 40. Y

Encircling the stem 38 is a coiled compression spring 4l abutting the washer 31 and hub 33, 30 acting to maintain the valve plug in its seat.

A lever 45, having a long arm 46 is firmly fixed on the wire core 23 to be moved by it in the slot 35 and is provided with a detent 41 to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 40; an extension 35 48 from the free end of the lever reaches past the center of the stem 38 and is held normally in a raised position by a light bow spring 49 fixed on the bottom of the housing 30.

The tapered portion of the valve plug 36 has 40 an upper cylindrical body 50 terminating in a ratchet wheel 5|, of reduced diameter freely revoluble within a collar 52 seated on a shoulder of the body 53, at the juncture of the ratchet wheel, the collar being fixed in the upper part of 45 a tubular shell 53, mounted on the upper part of the housing 30.

The valve plug 36 has a transverse port 55 registering with the passages in the nipples 3| and 33, this port being normally turned to a closed 50 position by a torsion spring 56 encircling the plug body 53, the upper end of the spring engaging a pin 51 set in the body and its lower end extending into a recess 58 in the housing 30.

All the elements of the valve plug are axially 55 Y the spring 55.

bored to receive a rod 60 having its lower portion 6l adapted to contact thelever arm 48 when pressed downwardly and disengage the detent 41 from the ratchet wheel 40.

A push button 62 is fixed on the upper extending end of the rod 60, which is held in a raised position by an encircling compression spring 63 between the knob and upper end of the ratchet whe'el 5|.

In order to avoid leakage of gas where the rod 5E] passes through the valve port 55, a sleeve 64 surrounds the rod, the ends of the sleeve being hermetically sealed in the bore of the port.

A tubular stud 55, passing through the casing shell 53, is fixed in the collar 52 and provided with a flanged head 55, and mounted on the stud is a manually operable handle 61, recessed at its outer end to receive the flange. I

A rod G8 is limitedly slidable in the stud 65, its inner end having a bevelled terminal 69 to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5l, and at its outer is a knob 'lll pressed outwardly by a spring 1l encircling the rod, between the knob and flange 66, within the handle recess.

To operate the safety valve, the handle 51 is grasped in the usual way, and the button lil is pressed inwardly, so that the rod 68 will engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5l. By turning the handle, with the button still pressed inwardly, the valve plug may be turned from closed to open position. At the same time the torsion spring 56 will be placed under tension. If the gas or other fuel discharging through the burner is ignited the thermostatic coil will ex- Y pand under the ame temperature, thereby causing the flexibleV core 23 to swing the lever 45, so that the detent 41 will engage one of the ratchet teeth of the wheel 49, and thus hold the valve plug against turning under the closing action of So long as the flame temperature is present, the tooth of the release lever will be engaged with the wheel 45, and the closing spring will not be able to react to turn the valve plug to closing position. But should the ilame be extinguished, the thermostatic coil will contract, and its flexible transmission shaft will cause the lever 45 to swing out of engagement with the wheel, thus releasing the spring, so that it will turn the valve plug to a closed position.

To regulate the amount of gas or other fuel fed to the name, the button 62 is depressed, thus forcing the rod 5S against the horizontal arm 2l of the lever, and moving the detent 41 outwardly from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 45. When the button 62 is released the spring 56 will be prevented from closing the valve, due to the fact that the detent 41 will be again forced into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 4l), thereby holding the valve plug against the turning effort of the closing spring.

It will be seen from the foregoing that it is impossible to operate the valve unless the end button 18 is pressed, to couple the handle directly to the valve plug. If this button is not pressed the handle will merely pivot on the upper end of the valve plug, without changing the position of the valve plug as, if the handle is accidentally i engaged it will merely swing, without operating the valve. The button shifted rod 68 acts as a clutch to couple the handle to the valve plug. This clutch is self releasing, when pressure is removed from the handle, so that at all times the handle is normally disengaged from the valve plug.

When it is desired to quickly close the valve all that is necessary is to press on the central button 52, thus forcing the central rod 60 downwardly against the arm of the lever 45, thereby disengaging the detent 41 from the wheel 40, when the closing spring 56 turns the valve plug to closing position.

Should any of the working parts be broken, it will be impossible toi turn on the gas or fuel, thus compelling the user to call a service man, properly equipped to restore the valve to working condition.V

Having described my invention I claim as new:-Y

1. In a self closing gas valve, a body having opposed inlet and outlet openings, a plug rotatably mounted in said body and having a transverse port registrable with said inlet and outlet openings to control the passage of fluid therethrough a rod slidable axially in said plug passing through said port `and extending therebeyond, sealing means extending transversely of said port and surrounding said rod to prevent leakage therearound, a detent pivoted in said body and operative to normally retain said plug in adjusted position, said detent including means extending into the path of movement of said rod, a remote heat responsive device having a control connection with said detent to normally retain it in engaged position and release the same when said device reaches an abnormal temperature, and a spring associated with said plug to close the same upon release of said detent, whereby said rod is operable to Arelease said detent notwithstanding the temperature condition of said heat responsive means.

2. In a self closing gas valve, a body having opposed inlet and outlet openings, a plug rotatably mounted in said body and having a transverse port registrable` with said inlet and outlet openings to control the passage of fluid therethrough, a rod slidable axially in said plug pass'- ing through said port and extending therebeyond, sealing means extending transversely of said port and surrounding said rod to prevent leakage therearound, a detent pivoted in said body and operative to normally retain said plug in adjusted position, Vsaid detent including means extending into the path of movement of said rod, a remote heat responsive device having a control connection with said detent to normally retain it in engaged position and release the same when said device reaches an abnormal temperature, a spring associated with'said plug to close the same upon release of said detent, whereby said rod is operable to release said detent notwithstanding the temperature condition of said heat responsive means, and manual means for depressing said rod, said rod when depressed operating to release said detent.

JACK DE PUDDICOMBE. 

